The present invention relates generally to automatic testing equipment for testing various electronic devices, and more particularly to an interconnection assembly or arrangement for connecting the equipment.
Electronic testing equipment consists generally of an automatic testing unit or test station containing circuitry or hardware for testing various types of electronic devices, and an interface test adapter or interface unit containing the necessary hardware to relay the correct signals back and forth between the test station and the device under test. Such equipment is widely used, for example, in the military aircraft industry for testing the many different types of electronic devices used in the various aircraft. A single test station may be required to test more than 50 different types of electronic devices. Each specific device requires a different interface test adapter, to ensure that the correct signals for testing that particular device are relayed between the units.
Interface test adapters typically consist of a large metal box with hundreds of pins projecting from one end for connection to corresponding sockets on the testing unit, and cable connectors projecting from the other end for connection to the device under test. Inside the box is a mass of wires, terminal boards and printed wiring boards which transfer the correct electronic signals back and forth between the testing unit and the device under test. Since these boxes are necessarily very large, storage space is quite a problem where over 50 different boxes must be stored for each testing unit or station.
The interface unit is connected to the test station by lifting it onto a holding frame and applying considerable pressure with a lever arm to join all of the pins and sockets. Any misalignment or mishandling could result in damage to the pin and socket connectors.